Hepatitis B vaccination in healthy Chinese adults with low dose regimens

Three hundred seronegative healthy Chinese adults were divided randomly into three groups to receive 5, 2 and 1 micrograms of Pasteur's hepatitis B vaccine on a four dose schedule. No difference between the three groups was observed in the antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) response rate (96, 92 and 94%, respectively) a month following the fourth dose of vaccination. Young vaccinees had a faster and higher anti-HBs response than older ones. There was no difference in antibody response rate by sex. This study shows a good immunogenic effect for low dose hepatitis B vaccine in Chinese adults. The use of low dose (1 microgram) hepatitis B vaccine in susceptible adults would make mass hepatitis B vaccination more economically feasible.